Coup
by The Emerald Shapeshifter
Summary: Lust for power. Anger. We were betrayed, in a sense. And the Darkness just lured us in. I found the Heartless of my former best friend, but that did nothing to stop the cold. Six apprentices...here is our story from Before the Darkness. XehIsa friendship.
1. Of The Heart

**Coup**

**A Kingdom Hearts Fanfiction**

* * *

_We deserved more than this. We were smarter. Ansem was stubborn._

_So we took matters into our own hands._

_Six apprentices. This is our story._

* * *

**Epilogue: Of The Heart**

_Darkness, all around me._

_Scrabbling for a hold._

_The creatures…_

_No heart._

_No Heart._

* * *

"_So, your memories are gone, boy?"_

"_Yessir."_

"_What…does it feel like? To have no memories?"_

"…_Like a scattered memory that's like a faded dream. …But the pieces will line up, all in time."_

* * *

Young Xehanort Corazón had arrived in Radiant Gardens one average day, with his only memory being his name and his only possession being a torn up, bloodied piece of paper with an odd drawing of a heart on it. He had been taken to the hospital for a broken arm, and was soon declared 'legally' insane. He always raved about the shadows coming at him…

It was the heart drawing that made Ansem the Wise take him in.

The world-renowned Ansem had rarely left his estate, the castle named Hollow Bastion, so no one bothered him when he checked Xehanort out of the hospital and took him to his home.

Now, it was years later, and Xehanort had been raised from scratch around science, making him one of Ansem's six apprentices.

* * *

"Guess what?" Ienzo sang as he entered the main hallways of Ansem's castle. He always had the innate ability to know if someone was in a room; sure enough, Ansem was there. "I got accepted for the college I wanted!"

Ienzo was the youngest of the six apprentices, having recently graduated high school. The school year was not over; he had passed early—with straight A's. All the girls loved him, guys envied him for being smart and athletic; despite his size, he could down anyone taller than him.

"Cun-grat-yoo-lashuns!" Braig slurred happily, now entering the room, holding out his arms with a flair. "School was easy for me."

Braig was the happy-go-lucky kind of guy who most would stereotype as stupid. He had nearly failed high school, but in college, his true colors shone and he flew through with flying colors. The professors all unanimously said they were shocked beyond reason at Braig's pass through college.

Ienzo eyed him. "You nearly failed high school."

"I meant college, dum-dum."

"Stop bickering, you two," Ansem chuckled. "Braig, go see if you can drag Even out of his laboratory. Find the others while you are at it. It is time for supper."

_**

* * *

**_

_**Boom!**_

Braig was walking down the hallways when an explosion rocked the floor. Blinking, he rushed to the nearest lab room, wrenching the fire extinguisher off the wall next to the doorway and spraying it into the room.

When the smoke cleared, Braig could see an exasperated-looking Elaeus. Elaeus was a fairly tall man with dark brown, wild hair. He would seem like a weightlifter than a scientist. He had a huge, muscular frame, but never hurt anything. He seemed to be both brains and brawn, but only one or the other when the situation demanded it.

Braig chuckled lightly, trying to ease Elaeus's obviously tense mod after having been sprayed with a fire extinguisher. "Uh…hi, Elaeus," he said timidly. "Supper is ready…"

"How many times have I told you, I can handle such a minor explosion as this," Elaeus said gruffly, crossing his arms.

"Sorry. Everything was on fire." …

* * *

"No, Braig, you are not coming in just to ruin my experiments. Not again."

Braig sighed at the voice. Dilan was Braig's complete opposite—serious where Braig was carefree, quiet where the other was loud. He rarely spoke up, and when he did, it was only to offer words of wisdom, input his opinion, or berate another.

"Supper's ready, bonehead," Braig groaned.

"I am sure I can completely abandon my hard work for a bite to eat," Dilan muttered sarcastically as he opened the door. Braig just sighed.

* * *

And, then, as always, there was the sour among the sweet—Even. Even was the oldest and the smartest of them, the only one surpassing him being Ansem. He was cocky, arrogant, and, as Braig joked, 'Probably was born to be, and will die, a scientist'. He hated when anyone interrupted his research; he would often lock himself in his lab for weeks on end.

A loud knocking interrupted Even's carefully places thoughts and ruined his concentration. He knew it was Braig; no one would be so rude as to knock so loud.

"Come in, Braig," Even sighed. "This had better be important."

"Uhm…" Braig said slowly, stepping into the lab. "Dinner?"

Even sighed once more. "I suppose a meal would not hurt… But you will pay for interrupting me."

"Keep telling yourself that."

* * *

And, there was Xehanort—the boy who lost his memory and still hadn't regained one, like he promised Ansem he would long ago.

Each of Ansem's apprentices were carefully chosen from the smartest in the city. But few fit the 'profile' of a scientist.

None of these apprentices had anything in common.

Except for one thing.

Their love of the heart.

* * *

"Congrats on getting into The Institute!" Elaeus said as cheerfully as his deep voice would let him sound as Ienzo entered the dining hall.

"Call it by the proper name," Ienzo corrected intelligently. "Radiant Gardens Institute."

"And we all know why they accepted you," Braig said, rolling his eyes.

"You barely got in," Dilan murmured.

"But I did get in!"

"Alright, enough of this," Ansem said calmly. "Congratulations, Ienzo, you deserved this."

"A toast!" Braig said in his cheerful demeanor as he held up a goblet. "To—"

"Is this wine?" Ienzo suddenly asked, holding up his own goblet. "I am underage, Braig."

Silence.

Then Braig laughed. "You deserve this!" he echoed jovially.

Ienzo just grinned and placed his goblet onto the table. "No thank you. I decline."

"Suit yourself," Braig muttered.

There was silence one again as they continued to eat and drink. The soft clinking of silverwear against plates was all that filled the silence for several minutes.

"So, Even, may I ask you what you have conjured up in your laboratory during your past few weeks of confinement?" Ansem asked humorously, though a glare was set on his face.

Even did not look up from the papers he was reading, his plate of food pushed to the side to make room for the apparently more important documents. His reading glasses were perched firmly on his nose, until he sighed and looked up, removing them.

"I have been very successful with minor experiments of no value to address to you; it would merely waste time," he said. "But I have succeeded with something you, Ansem the Wise, could never."

"Oh?"

"Indubitably." At this, Ansem rolled his eyes. "I think you will be very surprised."

"Quit beating around the bush, Even," Dilan growled. "Enlighten us. Please."

Even offered a small smile—a very rare thing. "I managed to capture the essence of a human heart."

Spoons clattered to plates, and a crystal goblet fell to the ground, shattering, spilling fine red wine over the floor.

* * *

_It's starting out great!_


	2. Heartless

**Coup**

* * *

**Chapter Two: Heartless**

"Impossible!" Ansem suddenly roared. "I have researched for years and—"

"Have failed to do what I so simply accomplished," Even said. "With Xehanort's help."

Everyone looked to the silver-haired apprentice.

"The key is a cold, stable environment," Xehanort explained hesitantly.

"After all, aren't most humans cold and senile?" Even asked.

"It is not that!" Xehanort said, obviously flustered.

"Oh come now," Even said. "Can you think of any other probable reason?"

Ienzo rolled his eyes and whisked a book out of nowhere, reading.

"Must you always be this much of a show off, Even?" Elaeus asked. "It's very unbecoming."

Even chucked. "Follow me, my fellow apprentices. And witness a miracle."

* * *

Even's lab was surprisingly clean for the amount of time he spent in it. Everything was organized, and nothing was misplaced. The lab was large, and it had tables and counters running along the walls, along with shelves, surrounding the table in the center of the room.

On the table in the center of the room, a tube sat, covered with a black cloth. Through the black covering, Xehanort could see a small dab of light moving up and down.

Even grinned, gripping the black cloth in his long fingers and ripping it off dramatically, shooting the cocky smirk he owned at Ansem.

Inside the tube was a glowing ball of energy in the shape of a heart. The color throughout was white, but it would pulse a very pale yellow every second, like a heartbeat. It floated in the blue liquid inside the tube, which, true to Xehanort's word, was cold to the touch.

"This is the product of months on end of research on my part," Even said proudly.

"I want this thing gone!" Ansem said suddenly. "Xehanort! Even! Both of you…to your rooms!"

Xehanort squeaked in fear and ran, afraid of being yelled at, but Even lagged behind. "Master Ansem, I am a grown man… You cannot send—"

"_To your room, Even!!_" Ansem shouted, sending Even running.

Ansem pinched the bridge of his nose as the other apprentices muttered to themselves worriedly. Ansem turned to them, saying, "I do not want any of you to make the same mistake they made."

And he strode off.

* * *

Xehanort paced his room, his feet shuffling along the plush carpet, growling to himself as his stomach growled at _him_—he didn't get to finish supper.

"How could he punish me in such a manner? It was not I who captures the heart essence, but Even! It is he alone who should be punished, not I."

His musings faded to nothing as he heard thunder rolling outside. He sighed and plopped onto his bed, sighing…

Until a particularly loud crack of thunder shocked him to his feet. He rested a hand over his rapidly pounding heart and looked randomly to a board near his bedpost.

It was a photo board. Since having lost all memories of his previous life, Xehanort liked to keep every nice and important memory on this photo board. It was his security blanket.

One was a photo of him with the five other apprentices, all posing for the camera. Xehanort was in the middle, with Ienzo and Braig to his respective left and right, and Elaeus, Dilan, and Even in the back, Even giving his one rare smile.

Another was a picture of him and Ansem the Wise, standing in front of Hollow Bastion, both with the widest smiles ever. It was the day Xehanort called the castle his home.

Then, there was his heart drawing. The picture had come with him from the past and was his most valued possession. He didn't know what it was, or even who drew it and why…but he knew it was important.

His eyes wandered to the window…and his heart stopped.

Sitting on the window sill, looking into his room, was a black, but-like creature with glowing yellow eyes. Its eyes stared into his very soul, and he screamed.

_He screamed like the day he realized he _couldn't remember.

**He blacked out.**

_

* * *

_

_Nng…_

"…ay…?"

_My head…_

"Indeed."

The voice shocked him to near consciousness. A hand lay on his shoulder, very lightly shaking him.

"Xehanort?" Another shake. "Wake up, Xehanort."

He did not respond.

"You said you checked his vital signs. Why isn't he—"

"Master Ansem, leave him be. His vital signs are just now beginning to return to normal after the trauma."

A grunt.

"Hm! He's awake."

"Xehanort, can you open your eyes?"

Xehanort tried. He really did. But his eyes only opened halfway.

"That's it…"

His eyes sprung shut again at the light.

"No no no, you can't go back to sleep."

"Um, Master, I would recommend leaving him be for now. He needs to sleep."

It was right then that Xehanort's mind finally snapped to awareness. His eyes flew open and he quickly sat up, startling Ienzo, who was at the foot of his bed—_Bed?_ Xehanort thought—as well as Ansem, who sat next to his head.

"Calm down, Xehanort," Ansem said comfortingly.

"W-What happened?" Xehanort asked.

Ienzo and Ansem looked nervously at each other. "We were hoping you could tell us," Ienzo explained. "We heard a scream and found you unconscious in your room."

Xehanort looked confused. "I…cannot…remember…" he trailed off.

"It is alright," Ansem said, not noticing the irony in his apprentice's last statement. He made a move to stand, saying, "I know what Even did. I am going to find him to make sure he is properly punished for stealing the heart essence. Then, he will tell me where it is."

"But Master," Xehanort protested. "It is in my room."

"We searched," Ienzo told him. "It was not there."

Ansem lay a hand comfortingly on Xehanort's head, ruffling his hair, saying, "Your heart rate is dying down from the trauma, but you need to rest."

* * *

"_Xehanort! Run!!"_

_He ran. There wasn't anything else he could do. He knew his friend could handle the bug-like shadows…but something inside him made him fear for his friend's safety._

_He turned to look back, only to see the blue hair of his friend as he was knocked to the ground, his large weapon knocked from grip as the shadows scratched at his friend's face._

_Crying, he kept running, the shadows continuing to follow him, all too much like a magnet. He aimed his hand behind him, without looking, concentrating on the power until it built up to massive levels…_

* * *

Xehanort's eyes were wider than dinner plates as he was roughly snapped back to reality in time to see Ansem's red robes fluttering as the man left the room. Ienzo was eying his patient with concern.

"Xehanort? Are you feeling well?"

"I…do not…know," Xehanort said, looking at his hand. _Powers?_

"Did you regain a memory?" Ienzo asked.

Xehanort looked at him like he had grown two heads. "How—"

"Did I know?" Ienzo finished for him. "I do not know myself… I just sensed that something big happened. Beyond that, I cannot explain."

"What did you see?" he asked suddenly.

Xehanort told him in a nutshell what had happened.

"Blue hair…I am sorry, Xehanort. I do not know anyone with blue hair."

* * *

Of course he doesn't know anyone with blue hair. Who in the worlds would have blue hair? It was all just a figment of Xehanort's imagination...


	3. More

**Coup**

* * *

**Chapter Three: More**

The next few days were spent with Xehanort locked in his room, meditating, and the other apprentices keeping a very close eye on Even. It was a painstaking week.

"Hey!" Braig yelled, as they all worked in the communal laboratory. "Where'd all the scalpel's go?"

Everyone looked around their stations and shrugged, save for Dilan. Everyone knew how he guarded his set of personally customized knifes, scissors, and scalpels. He gave an exasperated sigh.

"Find, Braig, you may use _one_ of my scalpels," he said melodramatically. "You _must_ return it to me, though."

Everyone knew his next statement.

"Or I will find you."

Suddenly, the doors flew open and banged into the wall, and Even strode in, looking extremely proud of himself. He had a smirk on his face that said 'I know something you don't know', and the others were wary of it.

"Oh, you," Xehanort said, not interested in anything he had to say. "What do _you_ want?"

"I have discovered something no one else has ever seen!" he said, sounding as excited as he could, which wasn't a lot. "It will amaze all of you."

"You got a better haircut?" Braig asked in mock-happiness.

"No, take a look at his hair," Elaeus said. "It's the same."

"Mock me while you still have the spines to do so," Even snarled. "Follow me."

He motioned with his finger as he turned and left. The others—with nothing better to do—followed.

The 'journey' to Even's private lab was a long and quiet one. Xehanort began walking slower and slower as he contemplated the meaning of the memory.

Upon passing one of the windows, Xehanort absentmindedly gazed out—and stopped in his tracks. His eyes widened and his heart hammered as he saw one of those dark bug creatures staring back at him from behind the glass. He looked away…

* * *

_Xehanort put a hand on his friend's forehead, where an X-shaped wound was, dripping blood that ran down his forehead, parting around his nose and down his cheeks. Like red tears. His friend grimaced but didn't otherwise move._

_"…How could this have happened?" Xehanort wondered aloud. He grabbed his friend's shoulder and heaved him upright, supporting him._

_"What…are you d-doing?"_

_"I'm not leaving without you."_

_"Xehanort, just go, I'm finished."_

_"No, …! I'm not leaving without you!"_

* * *

Xehanort recoiled as if a column of air slammed into his chest. His heart was beating rapidly and he felt like hyperventilating. "Another memory? Who…"

"Yo! Xehanort! You okay?"

It was Braig. The others had stopped outside a door to watch him curiously.

He looked outside the window, but the yellow eyes were no longer there. He nodded and ran to catch up with the others.

Even boldly unlocked the door and strode in, the others at his heels like loyal hunting dogs. Xehanort had to squint his eyes and hold up a hand to block out the intense light of the small room. There was a small box in the center of the room, and in it…was one of those small black creatures.

Xehanort stepped back cautiously. "What is that?"

"I found it trying to take the heart essence," Even said, holding a finger to the glass and watching in interest as the small creature tried to grab his hand. "I do not know what it is."

Ienzo stepped forward, and Xehanort vaguely heard Even warn him to be careful. _Is this the same one I just saw? But that's not possible…are there more?_

He heard a rather girlish shriek, and he turned to see Ienzo fall on his backside. The black creature was pressed flat on the glass near him. If it had a mouth, it would have smiled.

"What is this demonic being?" Ienzo asked, most likely to himself, clutching his heart.

"I ran tests," Even said professionally. "The creature has no beating heart inside its body, so I named it a 'Heartless'."

"No heart?" Dilan echoed. "Preposterous. How does it live?"

Even shrugged.

"We cannot keep this creature a secret from Master Ansem," Xehanort said uneasily. "Surely you do not intend to do so!"

"Oh, I most certainly do intent to keep this a secret," Even scoffed. "And so will you five."

"You are mad!" Elaeus boomed, making everyone flinch.

"I am most certainly not mad, Goliath," Even sneered, frowning. "If you tell Master Ansem of this creature, I will release it…it seems attracted to people…" He trailed off suggestively.

"Fine," Xehanort hissed. "But if this thing turned out to be a threat, I will tell Master Ansem."

Even blinked. He didn't expect such an exclamation from the shy and timid Xehanort.

"Very well…the Heartless—"

Suddenly, Xehanort's head throbbed angrily, and his head felt like it was going to explode…

* * *

_Xehanort released his friend when he was assured of the fact that he could stand on his own. He eyed the X wound on his face. "Should we…"_

_"It will scar," was the simple reply, the tone that of a person used to cheating death. "I am lucky to be alive. Next time, they will not—!"_

_His eyes widened and his next words turned into a pained gurgle. A bug creature had managed to stab him in the back, its hands phasing through his skin, near his heart._

* * *

"—shall remain here. It must remain under constant light; it becomes intangible in shadows."

"What the heck was that?" Xehanort whispered to himself.

"We had better not get into trouble, Even," Dilan warned.

"Yeah!" Braig agreed.

"You'll only get in trouble if you leave your mouths unhinged," Even said calmly. "Remember, I have my own hide to worry about, too.

* * *

Sorry for the late posting. My friend kept nagging me. I had it all written out, too.

I'm working on a Kingdom Hearts crossover with the best book ever, so keep an eye out!


End file.
